


Fortunes | Misfits Book One

by Spooky_Spooks



Series: Misfits [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Drama, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Magic, Magical Realism, Mystery, Novel, Teen Romance, Thriller, young adult
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21876934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooky_Spooks/pseuds/Spooky_Spooks
Summary: If you could see into the future, would it still turn out the same?
Series: Misfits [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576024
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter One

Sorcellerie Prophetie took her seat in the front of the bus, away from the loud and obnoxious playboys and cheerleaders that took up the entire back half of the vehicle. She sat down with a sigh, removing the bag from her shoulder and dropping it down to the seat next to her in hopes of warding away anyone who had plans to attempt conversation. Sorcellerie had no interest in making awkward small talk with anyone who attended the same horrid school as her.

Once the bus reached her stop, she got up and exited the bus. She climbed into the back of the waiting car and used the elastic around her wrist to pull her long, black hair into a messy bun atop her head. She watched the small, underpopulated street pass by through the window as the car made its way to the end of the street.

The street ended in a hill, and at the bottom stood a tall, metal gate. The gate opened to a long, well-maintained driveway, leading up to a large mansion, which was a stylish blend of modern and gothic-victorian architecture. The car stopped at the bottom of the marble stairs leading up to the front door of the house.

Sorcellerie thanked the chauffeur as she climbed out of the car and made her way up the stairs and into the house. Upon entering the house, she dropped her bag next to the door and bent down to pull off her combat boots. As she tucked them away in the closet and picked up her bag, a woman walked in.

"Good afternoon Miss Prophetie, is there anything I can get for you?" the woman asked her kind, wrinkled face breaking into a smile.

"No thanks," Sorcellerie began to walk up the large, spiral stairs to the right of the entryway, but turned back to ask, "Is my father in his office?"

"Yes, would you like me to fetch him for you?" the woman turned to leave the room.

"No, that's okay," Sorcellerie assured her. "Just making sure."

"Of course. If you'll excuse me," the woman nodded and walked off to another area of the house, perhaps to start with dinner or to tell Sorcellerie's father that she had arrived home.

Sorcellerie made her way up the stairs, and down a long hallway, finally reaching her room. She opened the door, taking off her leather jacket and hanging it on the back of the door as she closed it. She changed from her skinny jeans and tight-fitting t-shirt into black leggings and an oversized sweater, advertising a metal band.

Moving back to the door, she opened it and peered down the hall, to ensure no one was listening to what she was about to do. Retreating back into her room, she locked the door behind her and drew the blinds on her windows.

At the centre of the room, Sorcellerie lifted the deep red rug, revealing a large pentagram painted onto the dark, hardwood floor. Crossing the room to her desk, Sorcellerie pulled out the false bottom of a drawer to reveal candles, incense sticks, bottles of herbs, strangle liquids, parchments and scrolls. Taking out four candles, she placed them on the North, South, East, and West sides of the pentagram. She turned out the lights and sitting in the centre of the pentagram, lit each candle. She began to silently chant, lips reciting an old spell in a long-forgotten language, without uttering a single sound.

Soon the room went eerily still. Sorcellerie froze, her breathing cut short. The candles went out and the room went dark. Papers on the desk began to rustle in a sudden wind. Sorcellerie's eyes flew open, revealing a red glow where her eyes had been. Then, everything stopped. Her eyes closed and the wind stopped, the candles lit themselves once again. Sorcellerie gasped, her breathing restarting. Putting out the candles, she stood up, moving to the desk where she began to write frantically. She had just barely replaced the rug when there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" She asked, moving to unlock the door.

"Dinner is ready Miss Prophetie," the maid's voice called from the other side of the door.

"I'll be there in a moment," Sorcellerie called, putting away her candles and the notebook she had written in.

She opened the door, heading back down the hallway and down the stairs. When she entered the dining room she took her seat at the table, sitting in the empty seat her brother had once sat in. Her father was seated at the head of the table, across from the seat her mother once occupied. It had been years since her brother had been sent away and even longer since her mother had died, yet there the chairs sat. The chairs gave her a feeling of happiness, knowing that they had not been forgotten, but at the same time, she wished they weren't there as they reminded her of the broken state of her family.

They had been dining for a while, having just finished the main course and no one had spoken a word unless to ask one of the servers for another drink. There wasn't usually much talking at the Prophetie dinner table, but normally her father would have initiated some kind of small talk by this point in the meal. Sorcellerie dare not speak first, as her father found it disrespectful when she spoke without first being spoken to. As if sensing her thoughts, her father cleared his throat, signalling he was ready to speak.

"Sorcellerie, how is your schooling going?" he asked, pausing to adjust his tie. "Has anyone had any suspicions about us? About our magic?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, father," she replied. "I'm ahead in all of my classes."

"How is your magic going?" he asked, examining the salad the server had placed in front of him. "Are you any closer to discovering your ability?"

"Well..." Sorcellerie knew what her ability was, but something inside her told her that she had to lie. "No, not exactly."

"Sorcellerie, you know how important it is that you find your ability, don't you?" He leaned closer to her, raising his eyebrows as if daring her to say 'no'.

"Yes, I know," She sighed. "If I don't find it by the time I turn seventeen I will suffer a fate worse than death."

"Then you know that you need to focus more on your magic," he lectured. "I know you feel as though you must do well in your non-magic classes, but they're just not as important as your magical studies."

"I know father," Sorcellerie looked down at her plate, appetite suddenly disappearing.

"I've been thinking," he began to pick at the salad on his plate, though he would not eat until he had finished speaking. "Perhaps it's time I sent you to a school for other magical children, to help you learn what you are capable of."

"How come you didn't enroll me in that school before?" Sorcellerie asked, now genuinely curious. This was the first she had heard of any magic school.

"I didn't enroll you in a magical school before because you are a Prophetie," he explained. "Those with the Prophetie name are traditionally taught magic by their parents or private tutors. This has been the way for many generations. Nobles don't attend schools with commoners."

"Father, this isn't the 1800s, there's no such thing as 'Nobles' anymore," Sorcellerie began to argue, but seeing the look from her father, stopped.

"We are still of a higher status than most magics," Her father was one that thought money defined quality of character. "But I believe it would be better for your learning experience, as well as our public image in the magic community if you were to attend school with other magics your age. Perhaps of less fortunate status."

"So, where will I go to school now?" Sorcellerie asked, hoping for Hogwarts, despite knowing it was a work of fiction.

"You will be transferring to the Veneficus Ludum Academy for Gifted Youths," He told her. "You will be taking the rest of the week off of your non-magic schooling to pack, and on Monday morning you will be taken to your new school."

"Is it a boarding school, father?" Sorcellerie asked, unsure about what her father meant when he said she would need to pack.

"Yes, you will be staying until the winter break when you will come home for the holidays before returning to school," he explained. "You will need to pack clothes, though you will be receiving uniforms upon arrival."

"Of course," She gagged internally at the mention of uniforms. "That sounds wonderful."

The rest of the dinner passed without conversation and after another two hours, Sorcellerie was free to do as she pleases for the night. Hoping to satisfy her curiosity about Veneficus Ludum Academy for Gifted Youths, she decided to go to the library.

The Prophetie library hosted a large and extensive collection of books of all genres, both magical and scientific, fiction and nonfiction. The library itself was two stories, with a door on the ground floor leading to a carpeted room with many tables and chairs in the center with bookshelves lining every wall except the back wall, where stood an old stone fireplace, giving the room a warm, homey feeling. To the left of the fireplace was a small staircase, leading onto the second floor of the library, where a balcony wrapped around the walls, allowing for people on the upper floor to see and talk to the people on the lower floor. The door on the second floor of the library led out into the main second-floor hallway. To the right side of the fireplace was the door to the record room, which was labelled with a small, dull, golden plaque.

Something told Sorcellerie to go into the record room, she felt as if a silent voice was calling to her. Deciding to follow her instincts, she began to walk to the record room, only stopping to ensure that she was alone. She closed the door behind her, pulling the string to turn on the light in the room, stirring up a layer of dust in the process. The room appeared to have gone untouched since the last time the files had to be edited. The day after her mother's death.

Sighing, she began to look through the files. Stumbling upon the one detailing her immediate family, she pulled the drawer open, coughing at the puff of dust that emerged. Once the dust cleared, she sorted through the files, her brother's, her's, her father's, then finally, her mother's. Pulling out her mother's file, she once again looked to ensure she was alone before opening it to read.

_'Name: Antoinette Prophetie (Maiden Name: Bellamy)_

_Sex: Female_

_D.O.B: 04/24/77_

_Relations: Westley Bellamy (father), Maria Bellamy (mother), Elizabeth Bellamy (sister; younger), Edward Prophetie (spouse), Sorcellerie Prophetie (daughter), Edmund Prophetie (son)_

_Ability: Prophecies (Discovered; 04/23/92)_

_D.O.D: 08/05/11 (Age; 34)_

_C.O.D: Murder (Anima Remoto; Culprit unknown)'_

Sorcellerie gasped, her blue eyes welling up with tears. Her mother had been murdered? Her father had told her and her brother that she had gotten sick, but her file clearly stated that she had been murdered. Why would he lie? Was he trying to keep them from being afraid? But if that was the case, why had he been telling them tales of suffering a fate worse than death since they were young?

Sorcellerie thought of asking her father but then thought better of it. Her father was not the most understanding of people and he would undoubtedly be angry with her for going through the family's files. She knew she couldn't ask any of the staff, they would tell her father for sure, and they weren't to be involved in any magical happenings of the household.

She put the file away, thinking it best to just go to bed and pretend she hadn't read anything. On her way out of the library, she decided to grab a book on magical schools in case her father passed her in the hallway. Getting to her room without running into anyone, she locked her door and changed into some black, flannel pyjamas. Then she sat down on her bed and decided to read up on the school to see if she could find anything interesting in the school she was soon to attend.

_'The Veneficus Ludum Academy for Gifted Youths is a well-known school for magical children grades nine through twelve but offers advanced courses that allow students to take post-secondary classes in their final years at the academy. The academy is known for the extremely high rates at which students go to post-secondary schools. The quality of education at The Veneficus Ludum Academy is known to be among the highest in the world._

_The grounds are known for being large and beautifully maintained. The grounds include a pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer and football fields, and other various sporting fields and tracks. The grounds also have gardens and greenhouses, as the school grows its own fruits and vegetables, and offers courses on agriculture. The grounds are fenced in and surrounded by thick, green forests full of birds and other wildlife. Students are advised to be out of the woods long before nightfall and never to go alone._

_The current Headmistress, Mary McGuffin, is known for her accomplishments in fighting the dark arts. She has been the headmistress since the year 1975, and despite being in her eighties, she doesn't seem to desire retirement anytime soon. Mary is known for single-handedly discovering and taking down organizations known for their enslavement of magical children. While being headmistress at the school she has helped to rehabilitate many of these children and enroll them into her school, as well as improve the overall mental, emotional, and physical health of the students under her care. The quality of education had also improved immensely in the years since she has taken over as the headmistress, convincing many that she may be one of the greatest headmistresses in magical history.'_


	2. Chapter Two

Monday had arrived in almost the blink of an eye and Sorcellerie couldn't help but feel as though she wasn't ready to leave home. It wasn't as though she had any friends that she would miss at her non-magic school, and she didn't speak to her father much these days anyway, but she still felt too young to leave home. She felt herself missing the gentle reassurance of her mother.

Sighing, she got out of bed, brushing her hair and throwing it into a twisted bun, before tracing her eyes with a thick coat of black eyeliner and covering her lips in black lipstick. Deciding she wasn't going to dress up just to change into a uniform, she pulled on legging and a loose-fitting band shirt and a leather jacket. Then looking out the window to see the scheduled car pull up to her front door, she tried to pull on her combat boots while pulling her one remaining bag across the room and out the door. She threw her backpack over her shoulder and slid down the banister, sure her father was already in the car and was therefore unable to catch her. Leaping off at the end of the railing, she landed gracefully, grabbing the coffee that was offered to her by one of the staff.

"Thank you very much," Sorcellerie grinned. "I don't know how I could function without you."

"You're welcome ma'am," the girl replied, she was young and probably only up to wish the Propheties goodbye at six in the morning due to a lack of seniority. "Have a pleasant time."

"I'm sure I will," Sorcellerie replied, giving the girl a joking salute as she left the house.

"You're late," her father told her sternly as she got into the car. He was holding a coffee of his own.

Sorcellerie looked at her watch, she was only late by a minute and a half. "I'm sorry, father."

The entirety of the two-hour drive was silent, and Sorcellerie had taken to peering out the car window, watching as the scenery passed them by. Towns turned into fields and forests and back again, they drove past lakes and over rivers, only slowing once they reached a secluded lane just outside of a small town.

The car turned down a small lane, where a gate opened in front of them. Forests then faded into a well-maintained lawn and the small lane into a stone drive. At the end of the drive stood a tall, wide, building made of stone and brick, with square windows lining the walls, and large flowerbeds at the bottom of each wall. As the car pulled to a stop, an elderly, but by no means, a delicate woman began to descend the stairs at the school's front doors.

Without a doubt, this woman was the headmistress. She wore a knee-length, black, pencil skirt and a white blouse. Her greying hair was pulled into a tight, no-nonsense, style bun and her face was wrinkled with age and wore a stern, yet kind expression. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited for Sorcellerie and her father to get out of the car.

Sorcellerie opened her door and got out, her father doing the same on the other side. She left her now empty coffee cup in the cup holder, seeing no sense in carrying an empty cup around with her. Sorcellerie hadn't noticed him before, but behind McGuffin stood a boy her age.

He was of Asian descent, but sickly pale, with dark bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. He was tall and gangly, his uniform hanging loosely on his thin frame, despite it's intended slim fit. His black hair hung almost to his chin, and his bangs nearly concealed his dark, yellow-brown eyes.

"I understand my daughter will be well taken care of?" her father asked, now standing in front of the headmistress.

Sorcellerie moved to stand closer to her father as the headmistress began to speak. "Yes, of course. Veneficus Ludum Academy is one of the finest in the world."

"I was told I would be given a short tour," he looked around. "To gain an understanding of my daughter's education and living environment?"

"Yes of course," McGuffin replied with a nod. "Your daughter will be given a tour by another student, as we found that makes for a more comfortable experience."

"I assume that the young man behind you will be giving Sorcellerie her tour?" the man asked, peering around the woman to get a better look at the boy.

"Yes, he's in the same year as Miss Prophetie, and he's one of the most intelligent students in their age group," the woman reassured him. "He is quite responsible, I assure you nothing will happen to your daughter whilst under his care."

"Alright," her father turned up his nose at the sight of the boy before looking back at his daughter. "You have your phone with you, don't hesitate to contact me should you feel in any way uncomfortable with the environment."

Though she knew full well that he meant if the boy made her uncomfortable, she pretended to miss his disapproval. "Of course, father."

"Shall we?" McGuffin asked, gesturing to the building.

"We shall," the man replied, following the woman into the building.

The two teens watched the adults walk into the building, followed by the staff members bringing Sorcellerie's bags into the building. When the door finally closed behind the last staff member, the two looked at each other once more.

"Sorcellerie Prophetie, right?" the boy asked, his voice quiet. "I'm Jinseinoshi Majutsu...are you feeling alright?"

She was startled by the question. "I- yes, I'm feeling fine. Why do you ask?"

Jinseinoshi looked away nervously. "I can control souls, I, uh, I thought I sensed something heavy about your soul. Sorry."

"Oh," Sorcellerie was unsure of how to react. "It's fine. So, how do these tour things usually work?"

He looked grateful for the change of subject. "Well, that depends on what your interests are. Is there anything, in particular, you want to see?"

"Maybe the library?" She suggested. "I had a pretty big one back home."

Jinseinoshi gave her a small, hesitant smile. "I don't know if ours is any bigger, but I promise it's nice."

At the end of her tour, Sorcellerie was led to a room in a long hallway. Each door was labelled with a name on a small, silver plaque. Sorcellerie's simply read;

_'Prophetie, Sorcellerie'_

"So, this is your room," Jinseinoshi told her. "If you need help with anything, or need a friend, my room's just across the hall."

"Thank you," Sorcellerie thanked him as he walked back into his room across the hall, simply labelled; _'Majutsu, Jinseinoshi'._

Opening the door to her own room, Sorcellerie saw that her suitcases were stacked carefully at the end of her bed, which stood in the left corner of the room across from the door. The bed was a large, four-poster, with a dark grey canopy, and black covers, with deep red and grey pillows. The walls were painted deep red, with dark grey trim. The floor was a soft, plush, black carpet to contrast the hardwood floor of the hallway. Next to the bed was a black, nightstand with a single drawer. In the middle of the wall was a large window with black curtains, and next to it in the right corner of the room was a black desk, with a matching black office chair. Stepping into the room, Sorcellerie placed her backpack on her bed, before pulling her first suitcase over to the large dresser against the wall on the same side of the room as the bed. An oval-shaped mirror hung over the dresser, allowing Sorcellerie to see behind her, where a small bookshelf and plush, black chair with a red blanket hung over the back.

Opening the drawer to put her clothes away, Sorcellerie saw the black, pant-suit like uniforms she had ordered the previous week. Once she had put all her clothes away, she put on her makeup bag, containing only wipes, eyeliner, and lipstick, on the top of the dresser. Moving to her next suitcase, she took out the few books she had brought with her and placed them where she could on the bookshelf provided. Opening her backpack, she pulled out her laptop and notebooks, placing them on the desk.

Just as she finished a loud bell rang, signalling it was time for the students to make their way to the cafeteria for dinner. Opening her door, Sorcellerie saw Jinseinoshi standing outside his door, talking quietly with a girl. Upon hearing the door open, the girl turned around, looking Sorcellerie up and down.

The girl was as tall as Jinseinoshi, but not quite as slender, due to the wiry muscle covering her lean frame. Her black hair hung loosely over her shoulders, just brushing the fur-trimmed coat she wore over her uniform. Her pale skin was drawn tightly over her sharp cheeks.

"Sorcellerie, this is my friend, Alkhimiya," Jinseinoshi introduced the pair. "Alkhimiya, this is Sorcellerie, our new student."

"Alkhimiya Koldovstvo, at your service," the girl gave her a joking bow, her mouth pulled into a wolfish grin and her grey eyes fixed in a playful wink. She spoke with a Russian accent, though her voice was smooth as silk.

"Sorcellerie Prophetie," Sorcellerie replied, unable to hold back her grin at the odd display. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And I, you," Alkhimiya returned to standing normally. "Would you care to sit with us for dinner? I would like to know you better."

"Sure," Sorcellerie smiled. "Lead the way."

The trio soon arrived at the cafeteria, where several long tables and benches were set up. On each table were three stacks of plates, on in the middle and one on each side, and next to each pile was a tray of cutlery. In between each stack of plates were dishes of varying foods, including casseroles, pasta, vegetables, and meats.

Sorcellerie followed Alkhimiya and Jinseinoshi as they lead her to a long table near the back where they sat in a corner, away from most of the other students. They began to serve themselves, before sitting down as far away from others as they could get.

"We aren't exactly the most popular people on the planet," Alkhimiya said in response to Sorcellerie's questioning look. "But that's how we prefer things."

"I'm the same way," Sorcellerie told them. "I used to attend a non-magic school, but I didn't have anyone there I enjoyed the presence of."

"We're much better than anyone else you've ever met, don't you worry," Alkhimiya laughed.

"That explains why everyone hates us," Jinseinoshi laughed, seeming much more comfortable than he had been this morning. Perhaps the presence of such a confident friend was helpful.

Midway through their meal, the conversation had drifted to abilities.

"So, I can see the future, Jinseinoshi can manipulate souls," Sorcellerie started. "What do you do, Alkhimiya?"

"Alchemy," She replied, picking the carrots out of the vegetable mix on her plate and stealthily placing them on Jinseinoshi's plate. "I turn objects into other objects of equal value. Let me show you."

Alkhimiya pulled a small shard of glass out of her pocket. She made a big show of displaying the glass as if she was a cheesy magician. Then, she cupped it in her hands, which began to glow a pale blue. When the glowing stopped, she opened her hands, revealing a small pile of sand. Closing her hands, she changed it back into glass, showing it off once more before stuffing it back into her pocket.

"Miya, why do you keep a piece of glass in your pocket?" Jinseinoshi asked, shoving the carrots back onto his friend's plate. "What use could it possibly have?"

"Can I help it if I enjoy showing off?" Alkhimiya replied, deciding to simply hide the carrots under a napkin.

Jinseinoshi rolled his eyes but chuckled fondly and Sorcellerie grinned. They finished eating and returned to their rooms for the night.

As Sorcellerie closed her bedroom door and began to get ready for bed, she smiled. She felt more welcome here in a single day than she had at home for years. In fact, the last time she had felt this happy in the presence of others, her mother had been alive. Just over six years ago.


	3. Chapter Three

_Sorcellerie opened her eyes. She was in her bedroom, back in the Prophetie manor. Everything was exactly how she had left it, yet somehow it was different. Everything was wrapped, twisted, bearing an ordinary appearance, yet an evil nature. She could feel someone staring, their gaze was boring into her back like it was trying to go through her. She turned to see what was behind her._

_Her mother was standing across the room, facing away from her. She turned, and Sorcellerie's blood went cold with terror. Her mother's once soft, silky, black hair was now a horrible, matted mess, and her once the clear and smooth skin was now pale and sickly, appearing to rot in some places. Her sharp, blue eyes were now dull, unseeing, and crying blood. Her mouth was sewn shut, with fraying cords._

_Without speaking, or moving any other part of her body, Sorcellerie's mother slowly lifted her arm, pointing a long, skeletal finger. At first glance, Sorcellerie thought the ghost was pointing to her, but she wasn't. The pale hand was pointing over her shoulder, at something behind her, as if trying to warn her about something. Sorcellerie wanted to turn around, she wanted to scream, but there she was, frozen with fear and unable to take her gaze away from the twisted parody of her mother._

_Before her very eyes, the woman began to shake, almost vibrating. Her face contorted, and blood began to spill from her mangled lips. Unable to continue looking at the horrid sight, Sorcellerie regained her ability to move. She whipped around to see what her mother was pointing at and-_

She woke up with a start, barely able to utter a gasp let alone a scream. As the memories of her nightmare began to come back she felt tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes. Silent tears began to slide down her cheeks. Sorcellerie wiped her tears, before sliding out of bed and padding across the room.

She needed to see Alkhimiya. Despite having met Jinseinoshi first, she connected better with Alkhimiya. Opening the door with the intention of going to Alkhimiya's room, she found that the person she had been seeking was standing on the other side as if knowing where she was needed. Alkhimiya was in a pair of gym shorts and a shirt that looked like it belonged to Jinseinoshi, her hair was a tangled mess of bedhead.

"Are you alright?" Alkhimiya asked. "I heard you calling out in your sleep."

Sorcellerie nodded before her voice returned. "I think so? I had a bad nightmare."

"Do you want me to stay for a bit?" Alkhimiya offered. "Until you're calm at least?"

"Yes, please," Sorcellerie stepped to the side to allow her friend to enter the room. "I need to talk about it."

Sorcellerie sat down on the edge of her bed and wrapped her arms around her torso as if trying to hug herself in a form of comfort. Alkhimiya sat next to her, squeezing her arm in a gesture of comfort.

"Whenever you're ready," Alkhimiya told her, after a few minutes of silence, gently rubbing circles into her back.

"I've been having the same nightmare every night, for weeks now," she wiped at her eyes. "I'm starting to think it might mean something, given my ability and all."

"It might," Alkhimiya admitted. "Are you comfortable enough to tell me what it was about?"

"I was in my bedroom, back at home," Sorcellerie began slowly. "Everything's the same, but not at the same time. It just felt wrong."

Alkhimiya nodded, moving closer to Sorcellerie both for better hearing and in an attempt to comfort her friend. As Sorcellerie finished explaining the morbid details of her nightmare, she began to cry again. Alkhimiya wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Sh, you're alright," she soothed, smoothing the girl's hair. "It wasn't real."

As Sorcellerie's sobs began to fade once more, Alkhimiya began to fill with worry. How long had Sorcellerie been having these nightmares? And what did they mean? She had to ask, but she feared to upset her friend once again.

"How long has this been happening?" Alkhimiya asked after Sorcellerie had calmed down.

"Since my second or third day after coming here," Sorcellerie replied. "So just over a month now I guess."

Alkhimiya mentally kicked herself for not noticing sooner. "Do you have any clue what it might be about?"

"Well, shortly before I transferred I found out my mother had been murdered," Sorcellerie explained. "My father always told me she was sick. Do you think she might be warning me about that?"

"Her murderer?" Alkhimiya clarified, a feeling of dread clawing at her stomach. "It's possible, do you know anything else?"

"She died because of something called _Anima Remoto_ ," Sorcellerie remembered. "Do you know what that is?"

"It sounds familiar," Alkhimiya admitted, not knowing why those words caused a cold fear to creep up her spine. "But I can't remember what it is. How about tomorrow morning we go to the library and try to look it up?"

Sorcellerie nodded. "Okay."

They fell into silence for a moment or two, neither knowing what to say until Alkhimiya managed to break the silence with a question.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Could you?" Sorcellerie replied. "If you don't mind?"

Alkhimiya stayed, and Sorcellerie managed to sleep for the rest of the night without any nightmares. When she awoke, she found she felt more rested than she had in weeks. Alkhimiya was still sleeping, half of her long limbs hanging off the edge of the bed. Looking around the tangled mess of her friend's hair, Sorcellerie was able to see the clock on her nightstand. Deciding they had slept long enough, she began to poke the sleeping girl in the ribs.

"Lemme sleep," Alkhimiya groaned, curling up to avoid the pokes.

"Come on," Sorcellerie laughed. "You said we could go to the library."

"In five minutes," Alkhimiya covered her face with a pillow. "Stop poking me."

"I will when you get up," Sorcellerie dodged the pillow thrown at her. "If you don't get up soon, I'm just gonna pour a glass of water on you."

"Define soon," she joked, her grin barely showing through her long hair.

Sorcellerie's only response was a laugh before she shoved Alkhimiya off the edge of the bed. Alkhimiya sat up with a huff, flipping her hair out of her face with an over-exaggerated pout.

"Come on," Sorcellerie slid out of her bed and walked over to her dresser, already pulling out clothes. "I want to know what this _Anima Remoto_ business is."

Alkhimiya stood up and rolled her eyes. "I never thought you'd be so excited to go to the library at ten am on a Saturday," her words held no heat, only a playful, joking tone.

"Just this once, I promise," she chuckled. "Now go get dressed."

Sorcellerie began to get dressed, pulling on skinny jeans and a t-shirt advertising an old horror movie. She pulled her hair into a bun and put on her usual eyeliner and lipstick. Pulling her phone off its charger, she went out into the hall to wait for Alkhimiya to finish getting dressed. As she closed the door to her room, she felt someone bump into her side.

"I'm sorry," she turned around to see who she had hit. "Are you okay?"

As she turned, three girls came into view, each of them built like supermodels, with perfectly maintained hair and nails to match. One, the one in the middle, was blonde and blue-eyed, with a pink top and denim mini skirt. The second one, the one Sorcellerie had run into, was a brunette with gray-green eyes, with tight jeans and a sleeveless green turtleneck. The third and final girl had dirty-blonde hair with brown eyes, wearing a tight, peach-coloured summer dress.

The brunette scoffed. "I guess so, but so help me if you're gothic weirdo lipstick rubbed off on me."

"Don't worry, it's smudge resistant," Sorcellerie tried to sound polite through bared teeth, she wasn't in the mood to fight with a couple of snobs.

"Hey, aren't you that new kid?" the blonde in the mini skirt asked. "Prosperity, or prophecy or something?"

"Prophetie. Who, may I ask, are you?" She replied, hoping Alkhimiya would be out of her room soon.

"As if you don't know," the miniskirt girl, seemingly the leader of their little posse, scoffed. "I'm Regina Izen, the girl you just tried to football tackle is Alexis Henda, and this is Mala Cymeriad. Everyone knows us."

"Regina's dad is one of the richest magics in North America," Mala bragged. "Her family is practically royalty."

Sorcellerie fought back the urge to comment on the fact that she was also rich, but not even half as snobby.

"You should try to be less clumsy," Alexis told her as if she had asked for some kind of advice. "It's hard to make friends if you're just gonna tackle everyone."

"It doesn't help to walk around looking all emo or whatever either," Mala agreed, turning up her nose at Sorcellerie's horror shirt. "It's kinda creepy."

"Guys try to be nice," Regina smiled. "Remember all those stories of emo kids who got bullied, so they started killing people?"

"Have I done something?" Sorcellerie snapped. "Or are you three just this conceited and rude to everyone you meet?"

"How dare you!" Regina stomped her foot down, nearly snapping her high heel with the force. "I was being nice, I could ruin your life if I tried!"

"Yeah, we were being charitable," Alexis agreed. "A word of advice, stay on our good side."

"What is wrong with the three of you?" Sorcellerie was done being nice. "Do the two of you not have your own opinion? It's like you're a hive-mind or something!"

"You really are some kind of horror movie fan freak aren't you?" Mala replied. "What even is a hive-mind?"

"And we have our own opinions you know!" Alexis argued. "I think MAC cosmetics are the best, but Regina likes Sephora."

Sorcellerie felt like her eyes were going to roll right out of her head.

"What are you rolling your eyes at?" Regina stepped closer. "Are we not good enough for you? I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were the queen."

"Are you really so pathetic that you need everyone to worship you like some kind of goddess?" Sorcellerie replied. "I'd hate to think of how insecure you must really be."

"At least I'm not so pathetic that I have to hang out with the head suck up and his communist girlfriend," Regina countered, causing Alexis and Mala to grin as if she just made the world's best insult.

"At least they have the human decency to talk to me like a real person," Sorcellerie felt herself fill with anger. "You just get off on treating people like garbage."

"That's because some people are garbage," Regina countered, flipping her hair as if to show off her superiority.

"What did you just say to her?" Sorcellerie heard a voice behind her snarl.


	4. Chapter Four

Turning around, Sorcellerie saw Alkhimiya had come out of her room and was currently trembling with rage.

"I _said_ that some people _are_ garbage," Regina stepped closer to Alkhimiya as if challenging her. "Some people being your creepy new tag-along."

"At least she's not some pathetic snob who needs a flock of mindless minions to worship her," Alkhimiya mocked, though it came out different then the mocking tones she used when talking to Sorcellerie or Jinseinoshi. "Now why don't you run along and write in your _'Burn Book'_ like a good little mean girl?"

"Whatever, we should go anyway," Regina sniffed, turning on her heel. "We don't want to catch whatever freaky condition they have."

Alkhimiya growled as the trio walked away, but didn't make a move to do anything more. Sorcellerie waited until the girls had turned a corner and disappeared before walking over to meet Alkhimiya.

"Thanks," Sorcellerie told her. "But you didn't have to do that."

"What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't?" Alkhimiya replied, beginning to walk towards the library. "She does that to everyone though, she's somehow the most popular person in the building."

"I can't see why," Sorcellerie rolled her eyes. "Why is it the obnoxious ones are always the popular ones?"

Their conversation continued until they reached the library, where they quieted down after receiving a scathing look from the librarian. The room was massive, with rows upon rows of bookshelves, stretching from floor to ceiling with rolling ladders on each row. Near the back were round tables each with four chairs each. Alkhimiya walked into an aisle and grabbed a thick book before leading Sorcellerie to a table in the back.

"Let's see what _'Dangerous Magic 101'_ can tell us about that spell," She rubbed her hands together excitedly before flipping open to the table of contents.

"What does it say?" Sorcellerie asked after Alkhimiya had read the page.

Alkhimiya just shook her head before pushing the book across the table for Sorcellerie to read.

_'Anima Remoto is ancient magic, often seen as evil. It is extremely advanced magic and can be conjured by anyone, though it comes most easily to soul manipulators. This spell is used to remove the soul of another human being, giving the user their remaining lifespan. This spell can be used within a matter of minutes, causing instant death for the victims, or over a long period of time, giving the victim the appearance of illness. This magic is a favoured method of killing among criminals, due to its inability to be traced. The use of Anima Remoto was outlawed in 1693 after the Salem witch trials had caused many magics to take revenge for lost family members. Punishment for using this curse vary from place to place, but often carry an equivalent, or worse sentence, than murder.'_

Sorcellerie was numb with shock as she looked up at Alkhimiya.

"Are you okay?" Alkhimiya asked. "This is pretty heavy stuff."

Sorcellerie hesitated. "Yeah, I think so. Do you think...?"

"That this is what your dream was warning you about?" Alkhimiya finished. "It definitely sounds like something I'd want to warn someone about."

"Yeah," Sorcellerie sighed. "I just wish I knew more about it. That way I'd know who's possibly trying to kill me."

"That would be helpful to know," Alkhimiya agreed. "Do you want to do something to take your mind off it?"

Sorcellerie appeared to think about it for a moment. "Sure, that's probably for the best."

Just as they got up to leave, Jinseinoshi sat down at a table with two people in tow. The two appeared to be twins, identical in nearly every way. One was a boy, with pale, freckled, skin, bright green eyes and a mop of orange curls. The other was a girl, but looked the same, aside from her long hair and curvier figure.

"Hello, Koldovstvo," the girl smiled. "Majutsu is helping us study."

"We're hopeless at Herbology," the boy added, much timider than his sister.

"Aren't we all?" Alkhimiya laughed, pulling over a chair from another table and sitting next to Jinseinoshi.

Sorcellerie hesitated, but with a reassuring nod from Alkhimiya, she sat down at the table with them. "I don't think we've been introduced."

"I'm Aervisce Draiochta," the girl replied, she spoke with a Scottish accent. "And this is my brother, Cretine."

"I can speak for myself," Cretine mumbled.

"I'm Sorcellerie Prophetie," she smiled awkwardly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The twins are a year under us," Jinseinoshi explained. "I help them with their classwork from time to time."

"Yeah, without Jinsei here, we would all fail," Alkhimiya laughed. "He's helped me through many classes as well."

"Really?" Sorcellerie asked. "What classes?"

"Alchemy," Jinseinoshi grinned. "You would think she would be best at that considering her ability."

"I only 'struggle' in that class because I don't do the work," she explained. "I don't do the work because I already know how alchemy works, it's boring."

"I wish prophecies were that easy to understand," Sorcellerie laughed. "I've been getting them for ages and I still don't know how they work or what they mean."

"I'm almost glad I control fire and earth," Cretine gave a shy smile. "At least I can understand it."

"I would like them more if it didn't force us into gardening classes," Aervice replied. "Just because I control water and wind, doesn't mean I want to water plants."

"I'm actually okay with my ability from an academic perspective," Jinseinoshi told them. "It's complicated, but most of the classes are all theory work, which I'm okay with."

"You're such a nerd," Alkhimiya ruffled his hair playfully. "But I love you anyway."

"Are you two..?" Sorcellerie asked. "I mean Regina called you his girlfriend."

Aklhimiya and Jinseinoshi gave each other a disgusted look and burst out laughing.

"Never have been, never will be," Alkhimiya explained.

"I can see where she gets it though," Jinseinoshi told her. "We're closer than most."

The five of them talked and tried, but failed to study for hours, until the bell signalling lunch was being served. As they made their way to the cafeteria, Sorcellerie's phone began to buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out, she found it was her father calling her.

"Foreign number?" Alkhimiya asked, noticing the puzzled look on her face.

"No, it's just my father normally won't call," Sorcellerie replied. "I'm gonna take this, it might be serious."

"We'll save you a seat," Alkhimiya winked as she walked off with the rest of the group.

Finding a reasonably empty hallway for privacy she answered the call.

"Hello father, is everything alright?" she asked.

"Everything is fine here, yes," her father was emotionless as usual. "How is Veneficus Ludum Academy? It's not too late to hire a private tutor."

"That won't be necessary," Sorcellerie told him. "I'm doing well in all of my classes and I have friends here."

"Is that boy who gave your tour one of them?" his tone became more stern. "You know I don't like the looks of him."

"I know father," Sorcellerie sighed. "But Jinseinoshi's really quite nice. Alkhimiya is too."

"Is this...Alkhimiya, anything like this Jinseinoshi boy?" he pressed.

"Sort of," Sorcellerie tried to think of words to describe their odd personalities. "She's funnier and more flamboyant."

"I would like to meet them," he still sounded unsure. "To assess them. Ensure they're worthy of my daughter."

"I'll see if they're available to visit sometime during our next holiday break," Sorcellerie gave in. "I'm sure you'll like them."

"How is your living space?" he asked. "Is it big enough? Are the windows easy to break into?"

"They're alright, not as big as back home, but I expected that," she hesitated before responding to her father's odd question. "I don't think so, why do you ask?"

"I don't trust that boy," her father replied. "Something about him seems suspicious."

"Father, he wouldn't -" Sorcellerie tried to defend her friend, but was interrupted.

"You can't possibly know that for sure," he lectured. "Tonight, I want you to check your windows and let me know what you find. I won't have my daughter hurt because of faulty windows."

"Yes, father," Sorcellerie sighed, knowing she couldn't win.

"I have much work to do," her father finished. "I expect you to tell me about those windows young lady."

"I will, father," She replied. "Goodbye."

After hanging up she went back to the cafeteria, finding her friends and sitting down. They had managed to grab three pizzas and bring them to their back corner table where no one would interrupt them.

"We got pizza!" Alkhimiya gestured to the three, large circular trays. "Pepperoni, deluxe, and plain cheese."

"Was everything okay?" Jinseinoshi asked, slowly sliding the deluxe pizza away from his friend. "You said it might be serious."

"Yeah, everything's fine," She replied, grabbing a slice for herself. "My father is just a little bit overprotective."

"Our parents are like that sometimes," Aervisce agreed. "They're worried we're going to flood or burn the school."

"You almost did a few times," Alkhimiya laughed through her mouthful. "Exams almost got cancelled."

Cretine's cheeks turned pink. "I didn't mean to, someone startled me!"

"I think you startled them more than they startled you," Jinseinoshi replied.

After they finished eating, Sorcellerie bid her friends' goodnight and departed to her room to get ready for bed. When she entered her room, she noticed the chill in the air, reminding her that her father wanted her to check her windows. Walking over to her window, she was shocked to find it was open, she could have sworn she left it closed. Upon closer inspection, she found something even more alarming. Someone had been in her bedroom.


	5. Chapter Five

Alkhimiya sat in her room, at her desk with the week's homework laid out in front of her, though it was forgotten in favour of an old, wrinkled picture. A picture of a younger Alkhimiya and an older boy, appearing to be around fifteen, with a muscular build and unruly auburn hair. The picture was one of the few good memories she had left of her childhood.

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. Startled, she shoved the picture back into her pocket and wiped her eyes, making sure there were no tears. Her face was dry.

"Yes?" She called, getting up to open the door.

The door opened quickly, revealing a frantic Sorcellerie. Now filled with panic, Alkhimiya rushed to her friend.

"What happened?" She asked, looking the girl up and down to check for wounds. "Are you hurt?"

"Someone broke into my room," Sorcellerie explained. "They left this."

She held out a small, plain envelope. It looked innocent enough as if she had just picked it up from the post office, but with how much distress it was causing her it clearly wasn't what it appeared.

"What does it say?" Alkhimiya asked, gesturing to the envelope.

"I haven't read it yet," Sorcellerie replied. "I'm afraid of what it will say."

"Would it help if we read it together?" She asked as she leads her friend to the bed so she could sit, and hopefully, calm down.

"I guess," She handed the letter to Alkhimiya. "But I think I'm too shaky to open it."

Alkhimiya hesitated before opening the envelope and beginning to read.

_'Sorcellerie,_

_I know what happened to mother. You're in danger. I can't say more, should this fall into the wrong hands. We need to meet, ASAP. Tomorrow, midnight. The forest to the west of the school. Come alone. Keep this a secret._

_Don't tell,_

_Edmund'_

Sorcellerie gasped, before beginning to cry. Alkhimiya instinctively wrapped a comforting arm around the girl. She stayed silent for a moment before voicing her concerns.

"Who's Edmund? And how did he know where you were?" she asked.

"He's my brother..." she replied after a moment. "I have no idea how he found me, father had him send to a military school when I was nine. I haven't been allowed to speak to him since"

"Wow..." Alkhimiya wondered if Sorcellerie was in the same amount of pain she was. "That's crazy."

"What do I do?" Sorcellerie asked, sounding almost broken. "He's my brother, but this is all so...scary."

"This whole situation seems suspicious," Alkhimiya admitted. "Perhaps you should tell McGuffin about this? She may know what to do."

"I don't think I want to do that," Sorcellerie replied. "This will probably sound stupid, but I don't want to drag her into a fight that isn't her's."

At her friend's words, Alkhimiya was hit with a wave of nostalgia. That had been her exact train of thought during the first few months she had attended the school.

"I understand, but you don't have to do this alone," Alkhimiya put a hand on Sorcellerie's shoulder as if to remind the girl she was there. "If you want to go to this meeting, I'll come with you."

"I can't let you do that," Sorcellerie shook her head. "If you got hurt I would never forgive myself."

"And I can't let you go alone for the very same reason. Besides," Alkhimiya sighed, slowly pulling the picture out of her pocket as childhood memories began to flood back. "I don't think I need to worry too much where self-defence is concerned."

"Alkhimiya, Edmund was sent to a _military school,_ " Sorcellerie told her. "No offence, but I don't think you can compete with that."

She let out a laugh, but it wasn't a happy sound. It was harsh and empty, Sorcellerie could hardly believe such a sound might come from someone normally so upbeat and playful. "Actually, I think I can compete with that."

Sorcellerie was taken aback by the strange mood Alkhimiya had shifted to. "What do you mean?" she asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

Alkhimiya got up, handing Sorcellerie the battered photo as she stood. She crossed the room to her closet, opening the doors and pulling out a false bottom. To Sorcellerie's surprise, all she removed was a flash drive. The girl turned, looking from the flash drive to Sorcellerie, taking a deep breath. She looked more afraid than Sorcellerie had ever seen her, yet she still carried herself with the confidence and strength that she had come to know.

Alkhimiya released the deep breath she had been holding. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," Sorcellerie replied, looking at the photo in her hands before looking back to her friend. "Why do you ask?"

She sighed. "I trust you with my life. That's the only reason I'm telling you this, so you have to swear not to tell anyone. No matter what." She tossed the flash drive onto Sorcellerie's lap as she spoke.

"I swear," Sorcellerie told her. "What are you talking about? You're starting to scare me."

"If you're scared now, I'm not sure you'll be able to handle what I'm about to tell you," Unable to look at the dark expression on her friend's face any longer, she began to examine the flash drive in her lap.

It was visibly old, wrapped in worn tape with a smudge that may have once been a label. Sorcellerie couldn't explain the feeling if someone were to ask, it was as if the object in her hand radiated a sense of foreboding. She wanted to throw it away, to destroy it, but she couldn't bring herself to move or even speak. The photo was that of a young girl, no older than ten, who she recognized as Alkhimiya. She was with a boy Sorcellerie didn't recognize. He had his arm around Alkhimiya's shoulders, and the pair were smiling, though they didn't look truly happy. After what felt like an eternity of ominous silence, she finally worked up the ability to speak.

"What -What is this?"

"A precaution," Alkhimiya moved to stand by the window, keeping her back to Sorcellerie. "Just hear me out, and if you don't trust me after this you can use that to turn me in and I won't resist."

Sorcellerie swallowed down the urge to question her further, scared of her answers. Instead, she simply nodded for the girl to continue.

"When I was a young girl, I lived in Russia with my mother and father. We didn't have much, but we got by and we were happy," Alkhimiya looked out the window, her face expressionless. "I can't remember if my parents were magics or not, I was too young. It's not like it matters either way I suppose."

She pulled out the chair at the desk and sat, with her arms on the desk and her head in her hands. She stayed that way for a moment, and Sorcellerie almost got up to comfort her but stopped when Alkhimiya began to speak again.

"One day I came home from school to see them dead on the kitchen floor and some guy was waiting for me in the corner. I found out later that he was the one who killed them," She sighed, running her hands through her hair in frustration and pain. "He convinced me to come with him, and brought me and a bunch of other kids to a strange facility in another country, where kill or be killed was something we lived with every day. We were taught to use our abilities for reconnaissance, assassination, anything for anyone willing to pay the right price."

Sorcellerie was in shock, though she couldn't tell what was the most bizarre part of this reveal. She wanted to comfort her friend, but at the same time, could she still call her a friend? Sorcellerie's head was spinning, she had too many questions and fears, but she wanted to trust in Alkhimiya. She desperately wished it was a tasteless prank, but she knew Alkhimiya would never joke about this sort of thing, however strange her sense of humour might be.

"When you turned fifteen they gave you a mission, to test you. If you failed or died, you were no good, meaning they...disposed of you. But if you came back with the mission completed, you were valuable and they gave you more missions, started giving you rewards like a private room, or some cash," Alkhimiya all but spat the words, sounding completely disgusted. "My mission was to kill Mary McGuffin. That USB contains all my mission info, as well as a tracking device. The second it's plugged into something, they'll know where I am and they'll send someone to find and kill me.

Sorcellerie flung the object in her hands as if it had burnt her. "W-What?"

"I've proved useless to them," Alkhimiya replied. "They will make an example of me, so future magics can be brainwashed into doing as they're told."

"I won't let that happen," Sorcellerie replied, taking Alkhimiya's shoulders and turning her to meet her eye. "I swear."

"You still trust me?" Alkhimiya asked, her head tilting in confusion. "Why?"

"You didn't kill the headmistress, even though they will kill you, right?" Sorcellerie asked. Alkhimiya nodded slowly. "So you probably didn't kill before, right?"

"Of course not!" Alkhimiya replied quickly.

"Then why shouldn't I trust you?" Sorcellerie smiled. "You'll need to tell Jinsei and the others though, this is kind of a big deal."

"I already know," the pair turned to see Jinseinoshi standing in the doorway. "I heard you thinking about death, so I came to make sure you're okay."

He closed the door behind him as he entered the room, before crossing the room to pull Alkhimiya into his arms. When they parted, he put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, communicating in that odd way that only those two could. Alkhimiya nodded, and the pair turned back to Sorcellerie.

"He's known since the day I came here," Alkhimiya informed her. "He senses thoughts of death, so it wasn't exactly something I could hide."

"And the twins?" Sorcellerie asked. "Do they know?"

"No, I never really felt like I needed to tell them," Alkhimiya explained. "I wanted my past to stay in my past, you know?"

Sorcellerie nodded. "I can understand that. But why did you tell me?"

"I don't know, it just felt like I needed to," She smirked, beginning to return to her normal self. "Maybe your prophecies are rubbing off on me?"

"Let's hope not," Sorcellerie laughed. "I like you just fine as an alchemist."

"I think we all do, can you imagine if Miya knew the future? The school wouldn't know what hit it," Jinsienoshi laughed, heading for the door. "I'm going to bed, it's getting late and we have a test tomorrow."

"Night, nerd," Alkhimiya joked as he left the room.

"Night loser," he replied with a grin.


	6. Chapter Six

The next day went by quickly, and by dinner Sorcellerie was an anxious wreck, jumping at every noise and barely focusing on anything except the letter she had received the previous night. She sat, staring at her food and struggling to pay attention to the conversations around her, wishing for the previous night to be a nightmare.

"Hey, earth to Sorcellerie," her attention was caught by a hand gently shaking her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Sorcellerie turned to look at Alkhimiya, whose face was a mask of concern. "I'm going to meet him tonight."

"You're meeting a boy?" Aervisce chimed in. "Scandalous."

"He's my brother," Sorcellerie explained. "This will be the first time I've seen him since my mother died, and the circumstances of our meeting are...iffy at best."

"What's that mean?" Cretine asked. "Don't you live with your brother?"

"No," she sighed. "My father had him sent away after my mother died. He claims it's because he knows who killed her and my father doesn't want anyone to know."

"That sounds...suspicious," Cretine replied. "Do you think your dad...?"

"Cretine!" Aervisce snapped. "I'm sorry, my brother doesn't know when to shut up."

"It's fine, I'd have to be pretty oblivious not to notice how suspicious that is," Sorcellerie waved it off. "Still, my brother isn't entirely free of suspicion either. He's supposed to be at a military school in another province."

"Are you sure you feel safe meeting him tonight?" Alkhimiya asked as she slid her helping of vegetables onto a distracted Jinseinoshi's plate. "There is no shame in not meeting him."

"I have to don't I?" Sorcellerie answered as Jinseinoshi glared at Alkhimiya before sliding the vegetables back to her plate. "He knows how to break into my room, so it's not like I can avoid him. Besides, I want to hear what he has to say."

"I suppose so," Alkhimiya gave the steamed vegetables a look of disgust before shoving them back to the boy. "I'll go with you, I won't let you go somewhere dangerous by yourself."

"Thanks, mom," Sorcellerie laughed. "In all honesty though, I would appreciate it."

"I'll go with you too," Jinsienoshi replied. "And Miya, stop giving me your gross veggies."

"No offence Jinsei, but you're kind of..." Sorcellerie hesitated in her reply.

"A string bean?" the boy in question finished with a raise of an eyebrow. "I can manipulate souls, so I think I've got that covered."

"Right," Sorcellerie had nearly forgotten. She turned to the twins with a sigh. "I suppose you want to come as well?"

"Of course!" Aervisce replied. "You think we want to be left out of the adventure."

"That's a horrible idea!" Cretine argued. "We can't all go out, McGuffin will catch us."

"We can't have that," Alkhimiya agreed. "You two should stay in the building, maybe you could give us some kind of signal if she's onto us?"

"That might work," Jinseinoshi nodded. "We could use our phones, do we all have each other's numbers?"

As the group swapped phone numbers and continued their planning, they failed to notice the group of girls taking in their conversation as they walked past. The girls walked by slowly, trying to get as much of the plan as they could. When they had finally made their way to their table, they looked at each other with matching sinister grins.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The first one asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Obviously," the other two smirked in return.

Then, the three began to formulate a plan of their own. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Sorcellerie had stopped shaking only moments before she heard the tap on her window. Startled by the sound, she forced herself to take a deep breath before opening the curtains to unlock the window. On the other side of the glass was the familiar, grinning face of Alkhimiya. Sorcellerie let out a breath of relief she didn't realize she had been holding as she opened the window to let her friend inside.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alkhimiya asked, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"I have to," Sorcellerie replied, meeting Alkhimiya's stormy, grey eyes.

Alkhimiya nodded, her grin long gone.

The two girls made their way out the window, climbing from ledges to tree branches until they had reached the ground. They hid in a bush near the building they just climbed out of, ducking their heads out to be sure they weren't seen. Seeing no one, the girls made their way to the gardens behind the school, taking care to stay out of sight from the windows.

As they entered the pathway leading around the gardens, Jinseinoshi joined them from another pathway. In the low light, his yellow-brown eyes seemed to glow, while his dark hair and clothing allowed him to blend into the shadows. Sorcellerie jumped back at the sudden movement, her anxieties momentarily returning.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he attempted to reassure her. "The twins told me we should be under the radar for at least another hour."

"We should get going anyway," Alkhimiya replied. "We want to be back in school as soon as possible."

"Never thought I'd hear that sentence come out of your mouth," Jinseinoshi laughed. His phone gave a quiet buzz from inside his pocket. He pulled it out and opened the message. "The twins say we should avoid the west side of the building if possible."

"Lead the way," Sorcellerie told them. "I want to get this over with."

The three made their way through the gardens, careful to stay out of sight. As Jinseinoshi and Alkhimiya led the way through the gardens, Sorcellerie was awed by the way they blended into the shadows as if they belonged there.

The forest at the side of the school was a pleasant place during the day when it was full of sun and the sounds of small animals scurrying and birds chirping could be heard. In the night it was almost like a different place. It was dark, and a harsh wind blew through every few minutes, shaking the trees threateningly. The pleasant sounds of birds and small animals were replaced by an eerie silence, or every so often, the sound of coyotes and other night creatures prowling. Sorcellerie drew her arms around herself, hoping to fend off the chill of the wind and her growing anxiety.

Suddenly, Alkhimiya stopped. There was a pause, and Sorcellerie was about to ask what was wrong when Alkhimiya put a finger to her lips, signalling them to be silent. They stopped to listen for a few moments, Alkhimiya looking up into the trees suspiciously. Quicker than Sorcellerie could blink, Alkhimiya had a knife in her hand.

"I hear you!" she shouted into the trees, fixing a steely glare at the branches around. "Now come out before I drag you out!"

A cackle erupted from one of the branches above them. Looking up into the shadowy treetops, Sorcellerie saw nothing through the darkness, but the cackling continued. Then, without warning, a figure leaped down, landing only a few feet away.

The figure was one Sorcellerie recognized, but only just. The boy standing before her was unmistakable her brother, but he had changed in their years apart. Where there had once been rosy, pudgy cheeks, there were now pale, and hollow cheekbones. His once short, chunky frame had grown to be tall and lanky and what used to be strictly combed hair was now a tangled mess.

"Edmund?" she gasped, hardly believing her eyes. Her anxiety had been growing steadily all night, but now instead of reaching its boiling point it simply disappeared, leaving her numb.

"In the flesh," he smirked. "Did our father not teach you to follow orders? I believe I told you to come alone, not with an entourage."

Seeing that Sorcellerie was too shocked to reply, Alkhimiya jumped in. "Did you really think we were just going to let our friend go into the forest at night? _Alone? To meet a stranger?_ "

"Not a stranger," Edmund reminded them as if it was a trivial fact any of them could have forgotten. "I believe 'brother' might have been the word you were looking for."

"You might as well be a stranger with how long it's been," Alkhimiya snapped. "And that note was more than a little suspicious."

Edmund opened his mouth to say something when he was cut off by Jinsienoshi. "Enough. The twins say we've got about ten minutes to get back in the building."

"What happened?" Alkhimiya asked. "I thought they said we were in the clear?"

"Whatever it is doesn't matter now," Sorcellerie replied, finally coming back to herself. "Edmund, what do you know about mom and how do you know it?"

"Jeez, I missed you too," Edmund rolled his eyes. "She was killed by our father and I think you're next."

"Is that a threat?" Alkhimiya snarled.

"Settle down guard dog. I can sense when someone is lying to me, and I knew father was lying about our mother being sick," Edmund explained. "After doing some digging, I found out he was the one that killed her and that he wasn't able to steal her abilities."

"What makes you think Sorcellerie's next?" Jinseinoshi asked. "That's a pretty bold claim."

"He killed mother because he wanted her ability, the same ability that Sorcellerie has," Edmund replied. "He wasn't able to take it from mother, but he still wants it."

"What makes you think that?" Sorcellerie asked. "How do you know all of this?"

Edmund hesitated. "Let's just say I've got some connections and they've heard our old man say some less than loving things about you."

"We've got to go," Jinseinoshi spoke up. "The twins are having a hard time stalling."

Alkhimiya grabbed Sorcellerie's hand and started to lead her away, turning back to Edmund as they left. "This isn't over."

"Never said it was," he smirked, as he began to walk back into the shadows, where he disappeared from view.

They had barely managed to close the window to Sorcellerie's room behind them when there was a knock on the door. Sorcellerie turned to Alkhimiya with the intent to tell her to hide, but she was already out of sight. Quickly throwing a housecoat overtop of her clothes, she opened to door and did her best to look as if she had just woken up.

"Is something the matter, Ms. McGuffin?" She asked, pretending to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

"Other students have been complaining about certain students being out of bed and causing disturbances. I was wondering if you might have any idea what they would be talking about?" McGuffin asked, a casual air in her voice.

"No ma'am," Sorcellerie replied, doing her best to fake concern. "Though if I hear anything, you'll be the first to know."

McGuffin nodded. "In that case, I'm sorry to wake you. Goodnight."

After the older woman had left, Sorcellerie closed the door, turning back to see Alkhimiya perched on the edge of her bed. She stood up and opened her arms for an embrace, which Sorcellerie quickly crumpled into with a small sob.

"Hush now, it's alright," Alkhimiya cooed, gently rubbing soothing circles into her back.

"I'm just so lost," Sorcellerie choked out, clinging desperately to her friend. "I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"I know," Alkhimiya sighed, pulling her closer and running her fingers through her hair. "It's okay, we'll get through it together."


	8. Chapter Eight

Sorcellerie awoke the next morning to a mouthful of dark hair. Quickly sitting up and pulling a few loose strands off of her face, she turned to see Alkhimiya still sleeping next to her. For a moment, she was calm until the weight of the past twenty-four hours set in. With a heavy sigh, she combed her fingers through her hair, curling herself into a ball and trying desperately to calm herself down. She hadn't realized how badly she was shaking until she found herself unable to hold the glass of water from her bedside table, instead it slipped through her hands shattering on the floor.

At the sound of breaking glass, Alkhimiya startled out of sleep, her tangled hair covering her eyes and getting caught in her mouth as she startled. "What happened?" She asked, voice slurred by sleep and muffled slightly by her hair.

"Nothing," Sorcellerie replied, voice shaking. "Everything's fine."

"It's yesterday, isn't it?" Alkhimiya brushed her hair out of her face and moved closer, wrapping Sorcellerie in her arms.

Sorcellerie could only nod, and let herself be held.

"I'm not going to try and tell you that things are okay," Alkhimiya began, "but I will tell you that you're not going to go through this alone."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me," came the reply, barely loud enough to be heard, even in the silent room.

"Don't say that," Alkhimiya hushed. "No one's going to get hurt, and you can't be blamed for it."

For a few minutes, the two sat with nothing but the slowing sound of Sorcellerie's panicked breathing breaking the silence. Eventually, Sorcellerie was able to regain her calm enough to get up and prepare for her classes that morning. Although she was once again able to relax enough to almost be her normal self, she could see Alkhimiya keeping a careful eye on her throughout breakfast and their first class together.

While Sorcellerie could tell that something felt off, she chalked it up to be a lingering effect from that morning and nothing else. As her first class progressed, she felt the familiar pang of a headache slowly developing and by her second class of the day, it had become a migraine. Due to the intense ache in her head, Sorcellerie found herself unable to focus on the lesson. The ache had become so powerful that she began to feel nauseous and lightheaded, and she could see her hands shaking almost violently. Her vision began to tunnel, turning faded and black around the edges and slowly closing in towards the middle. Before she could react, her vision had gone completely black, and she couldn't see anything.

_Sorcellerie opened her eyes in a dark room. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, she could begin to see that this was her bedroom at the school. Except, it wasn't her bedroom, not the way she knew it to be. Everything about it was wrong, warped as if she was looking at it through a broken mirror. On top of this, the darkness of the room seemed unnatural. More like a heavy, smoke-like fog than the darkness of night._

_Attempting to get her bearings, Sorcellerie tried to look around the room but found that she couldn't. She could only face the bed, where she could now see a sleeping figure. As the figure turned in their sleep, Sorcellerie was able to identify the figure as herself. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as the temperature dropped. Before her eyes, one of the shadows in the far corner of the room began to move, as if alive._

_The shadow grew into a tall, almost human shape. With broken, jagged movements, the shadow began to move, blurring at the edges like static. It walked towards the sleeping Sorcellerie, and the room only grew colder as it approached. When it stood at the end of the bed where she lay, it paused. Though it could only have paused for a moment, to Sorcellerie it felt like ages. Then, slowly, the figure raised an arm so that it's outstretched hand drifted above her sleeping form._

_For one brief second, everything was still, so still, Sorcellerie was uncertain her heart was beating. Then, everything was moving. A bright, white light began to emanate from the Sorcellerie on the bed, moving violently towards the shadow as if being torn, fading to black as it did so. The moment the white light made contact with the shadow, the sleeping figure of Sorcellerie began to thrash and writhe as if in agony. Her eyes flew open only to roll towards the back of her skull. Watching this, Sorcellerie could feel her breath coming in short, fast bursts. She could hear the rapid beat of her heart drumming through the room, louder than any concert. Sorcellerie tried to move, to force herself to scream, but to no avail. She was forced to witness, whether she wanted to or not, with no chance at intervention. As her panic mounted, her vision began to close in once again, this time going white around the edges closing into the center. Before long, her vision was once again reduced to nothing._

She opened her eyes once again, through her eyes stung as the sudden bright light. Panic still coursing through her, she stood, only to find her legs too weak to support her. Still dazed, it took her a moment to realize that she had been stopped from falling to the ground with an arm around her waist. The teacher asked for someone to escort her to the nurse's office, though she could barely make it out, her ears and head felt like they were filled with cotton, dampening any sensation. The arm on her waist gently guided her to stand, and she looked up to see the arm belonged to Jinseinoshi. Sorcellerie watched blankly, not truly taking in anything, as Alkhimiya attempted to go with them only to be stopped by the teacher. While Alkhimiya initially protected, she stopped when Jinseinoshi whispered in her ear, causing her to look away from Sorcellerie with a faint pink dusting on her cheeks.

As Jinseinoshi lead her into the hallway, she began to come back to her senses. By the time he had led her halfway to the office, she was able to walk on her own and register most of her surroundings, though she was still having some trouble processing everything.

"If you don't mind my asking," Jinsienoshi started, his voice hushed and gentle. "What happened? Is everything alright?"

"I...I think I had another vision," Sorcellerie replied, her words and thoughts coming in delayed patterns. "But it wasn't like the ones I've had before."

"What do you mean?"

Sorcellerie was quiet for a few moments. "My vision's usually come in dreams or when I actively come looking for them. They've never come up without warning before."

"Maybe this one was more important?" He asked, his concern visible on his face. "What did you see?"

Sorcellerie described her vision to him and watched as the concern on his face morphed into genuine horror. "I don't understand what it's trying to tell me, I don't even know what I was seeing."

"Sorcellerie, I know what you were seeing," Jinseinoshi replied, voice and hands trembling. "That white light? It was your soul."


End file.
